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Overview

Property

Updated: 09-Oct-2016

Charming Canal Cottage In Wonderful Position To Relax Or Explore the true heart of Brittany

A unique and beautiful little cottage positioned beside the famous Nantes / Brest canal the property sits in the middle of a small terrace of cottages dating back to Napoleonic times when the canal was built. Today the cottage has been updated to modern standards but still retains immense appeal, full of character and charm with its old beamed ceiling and open fireplace. With lovely views from the lounge area the patio doors open onto a terrace with a table and chairs. Steps take you down to a small garden laid mainly to lawn where you can follow the sun around from dawn to dusk. A gate then directly opens onto the tow path and canal from where you can walk in minutes to the village,over the canal, past the grand manor and into the heart of the village. Alternatively you can take a walk or bike ride [which can be hired locally] along the canal to explore the countryside and other villages along the way. Apart from exploring the beautiful waterway, the canal offers canoeing and fishing right on your doorstep. The lovely little village of Gouarec is just a very short stride away across the bridge or lock. It sits where the River Blavet runs through it to converge with the canal close to the cottage. Built of old Bretton stone it offers traditional bars, a pizzeria, crepe, patisserie and antique shop. New this year is a municipal indoor swimming pool, again within walking distance. This little village offers everything you need without ever needing to travel and retains a pace of life that is there to be enjoyed. But for anyone wanting to seriously explore Briittany the cottage is the perfect location. Right in the centre of Brittany, midway between Rostrennen and Mur-de- Brettagne just off the N164 the cottage is ideally situated. Almost anywhere is within 2 hours drive time, for instance to Renne in the West, Brest in the east, Roscoff in the North and Quimper in the South and every where in between! You won't be short of things to do and places to go. Beaches north and south, beautiful countryside to explore and wonderful walks or cycle rides .The canal is no longer a working waterway but occasionally small boats and canoeists glide pass after clearing the close-by lock. It's popular for fishing with occasional horse riders, cyclists and walkers using the tow-path, so its a great spot for just watching and relaxing over aperitifs. Whether you like to relax and 'take in' the real Brittany or prefer a more action packed holiday, this little cottage offers it all and is within easy distance of all the main ports .

Sleeps 2

1 Bedroom

1 Bathroom

Parking

Garden

Barbecue

Internet

Washing machine

Towels provided

Linens provided

Accept Credit Cards

Bookable online

Top Traveller Review

business

Pretty Canal Side one bed Cottage close old Village In The Centre Of Brittany

Wonderful Retreat!

Lovely character cottage a stone's throw from the Nantes-Brest Canal,jam packed with everything you require for a relaxing holiday!We stayed for a week in September and had the area pretty much to ourselves which is just what we needed!Comfy bed with velux window for star gazing at night - very romantic!Pretty village, friendly people, lots of walks, lots of peace and quiet.A small piece of heaven!Many thanks to Chris and Diane for a very restorative break.

About the Owner

We have as a family taken most of our holidays in France for over 40 years. About 20 years ago we purchased a house in Normandy to renovate which we held for ten years.

Today in retirement we decided again to seek out a property for ourselves and discovered our little cottage on the canal .

Our cottage is also our home which means that we spend the summer ‘letting’ months with our family in England and the spring ,autumn and winter months in France where we try and settle into the French way of life .

8 Reviews

4.4

based on 8 holidaymaker reviews

Wonderful Retreat!

Lovely character cottage a stone's throw from the Nantes-Brest Canal,jam packed with everything you require for a relaxing holiday!We stayed for a week in September and had the area pretty much to ourselves which is just what we needed!Comfy bed with velux window for star gazing at night - very romantic!Pretty village, friendly people, lots of walks, lots of peace and quiet.A small piece of heaven!Many thanks to Chris and Diane for a very restorative break.

small but well presented and the location was excellent

The cottage was as advertised, it did take us a while to adapt to living in such a small environment but we did and everything we needed for our stay was available. We loved the location , right alongside the canal and had some beautiful walks when we saw wildlife ++ including herons. Everyone in the village was welcoming and we were able to buy all the essentials of life withing a five minute walk. The best restaurant in the village is the creperie but in addition to this there are several really good places to eat locally. There is lots to see and do in the area and we did not manage to go everywhere we had planned. Anywhere around the local lake and at Bon Repose is really worth a visit. We intend to return !!

Review Submitted: Sep 24, 2016

Date of Stay: Sep 2016

Source: Owners Direct, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: The cottage is very petite but we like to think it's "small but perfectly formed" as one guest commented.

Comfortable and charming accommodation

We enjoyed our stay in the canal side cottage very much. It is very small but well equipped and cosy. One soon learns to duck the beams and ceiling when upstairs! The balcony provides a good spot to sit (with a glass of wine) and watch the world leisurely pass by. Walks by the canal each day were a must and we were lucky to see an otter, herons, a fox and beautiful kingfishers. We recommend the walk to the abbey at Bon Repos and also the walks round the nearby lake (where deer can be spotted). The locals are friendly and the village bar is a good watering hole. Our only negative comment is that we had to use a dark towel to cover the bedroom window at night. As commented on by some previous reviewers, the bedroom would benefit greatly if a blackout blind was fitted to the Velux window.

7 glorious days in Gouarec

We had a fantastic week at this lovely situated gite in the heart of Gouarec.It was within very easy walking distance of all the local amenities[bakers,restaurants,bars etc] Being situated overlooking the canal there was always lots of activity with passing cyclists ,anglers, joggers and riders.The neighbours were fantastic putting up with my franglais! The weather was brilliant-in fact breaking Brittany records.There were lots of places to visit within easy driving -Markets at Pontivy,Josselin,Rostrenen,Callac, and Auray.Restaurants -Trois Marchand in Guemene,Chez Nous in Lignol,Rivoli in Pontivy Brocantes - Pontivy, Pleurgriffet,Callac.We would not hesitate in recommending this well equipped gite and fully intend revisiting next year .As they say-- a la prochaine!

A sweet compact property for two!

This is a rather lovely property for two situated along the Nante Brest canal. It is very compact but it offers everything you could want for your relaxing break in France. This was our third visit to the cottage and we will certainly be visiting again. The village itself has a good selection of shops and places to eat, we especially like the Pizzeria/Creperie.

Cosy Cottage for Two in a Lovely Location

We had a lovely week in the cottage. Sitting room was cosy and comfortable with nice seating and a small dining table with chairs, kitchen area is very compact but worked fine for us. French doors open onto a terrace with ample seating and a small garden with loungers - this side of the cottage overlooks the canal and there is always something to watch with walkers and cyclists passing by on the tow-path.

Bedroom is bright and airy with a nice shower room off. Bed was very comfy and we slept well. The cottage has everything you need for an enjoyable stay in central Brittany.

The cottage was spotlessly clean and we would happily use it as a base again in the future.

We had great weather for our 8 day stay and spent some time at the beach at Beau Rivage swimming in the lake - stunning and only 6 miles from the cottage. We also did a lot of trips around the area, such as Josselin, Pontivy, Huellgoat etc.

The village of Gouarec is on the doorstep - the boulangerie is a mere 200 metres stroll in the morning - and is very nice too! - and there's a small, but useful, village store as well.

Location

From the Owner

“Because, in the uk we live on the coast, being not too far from the beach or ‘water’ was an important factor so we consider ourselves fortunate to be 'on'a canal, with beautiful Lac de Guerladen close by and wonderful beaches in easy reach for a great day out when we need it .
Brittany has always been a great place for us, offering lots of variety, friendly people, beautiful countryside and stunning beaches , so to find a cottage in such a special position was an opportunity not to be missed: beautifully located on the canal, close to a lovely old village with lots of character and centrally situated we are also within easy reach of most of Brittany. It's a place where we can be close to the French lifestyle in a rural community, peaceful and relaxing but not isolated!
What the cottage lacks in size is more than made up for in character and charm , small but perfectly formed .”

Activity and Interests

Coast/Beach:

Lakeside beaches at Lac de Guerledan for swimming, boating, rowing etc is only 20 mins away driving or a good cycle ride if you have the energy!

A big choice of beaches is in easy driving distance to the north and south coasts of Brittany for a great day

out , within approx one and half hours drive time .

Travel:

Brittany Ferries provide an excellent service from Portsmouth to St Malo which is only 90 mins drive to the cottage on excellent roads .

Alternatively we frequently use the Portsmouth to Cherbourg or Poole to Cherbourg route .Drive time to the cottage is approx 4 hours on good motorways .

The port of Roscoff is only 90mins from the cottage with ferries from Plymouth .

The Portsmouth to Canne route is also an easy 4 hour drive with lots of villages to stop off if required.

Distances:

Just a few examples include;

Mur de Bretagne , pretty village close to the lake. With cafe and restaurant. 20 min drive

Although a small old village Gouarec has everything you need including 2 banks , cash dispenser, pharmacy, a small supermarket , patisserie, garage. There's a choice of eateries including an old beamed pizzeria with open oven, a delightful daytime restaurant/ cafe serving traditional lunches to trades people and visitors,and a crepe. All within minutes easy walking distance.

Located in the beautiful Cotes d'amour the cottage is also virtually on the border with Morbihan with its vast gulf, beaches and sea foods, within an easy day trip to the south of Gouarec.

Additional pricing information

Fees

No additional mandatory fees

Refundable Damage Deposit

£100

Booking Notes:
We require a non-refundable deposit of one hundred pounds to reserve your stay with full payment due 8 weeks prior to arrival.
The deposit will be held against any damages or special cleaning if required. This will be returned 2 weeks after your departure.
To make a provisional booking in the first instance and to confirm availability please contact us direct on telephone or email.[ email preferred]

Notes on prices:
We may be able to arrange an off- season booking by special arrangement. Please phone or email with details .
For all UK bookings payment must be in pounds sterling.
Weekly cleaning, linen and electricity is included.

Facilities

From the Owner

“We believe our 'petit'cottage is quite unique , located on the famous and historic Nantes /Brest canal it was built at the same time as the canal around 1840 and was probably used by canal workers.
Today the canal is for pleasure and leisure only and is used for boating, canoeing, fishing and and the towpath is easy for walkng , horse riding ,cycling and above all else ,relaxation.
Virtually in the centre of Brittany it combines charm, quaintness and convenience ,all within an historic environment that is away from the hustle and bustle.
Without leaving our 'idyl' through the seasons we can watch the canal change its colour, observe wildlife,chat to walkers,walk or cycle the towpath , explore nearby woods and walks.Or if we want to go further afield we can head to the beaches and coastal towns north or south.
Although we are unable to enjoy the pleasure of the area all year round we are delighted to be able to share the unique benefits with our guests when we are away in the uk.”

Outside

Balcony ...

Bicycles ...

Boat ...

Terrace ...

Golf ...

Kayak / Canoe ...

Garden ...

Barbecue ...

Ski & Snowboard ...

1 bicycles

Meals

Self-catering

Notes:

Notes on accommodation:
Ascending wooden stairs open straight into the bedroom, with king-size bed. Light and airy with two windows the velux gives views over the canal and manor gardens opposite.
The en suite is fully tiled with recently installed new shower , toilet and basin. [no bath]. Sloping ceilings .
Downstairs the front door steps down into the open lounge/diner and kitchen area which is light and relaxing .
The décor combines old antique style with new and modern to create a relaxing environment.
Compact and cosy our little cottage is styled for us as much as it is for our guests, as we spend the autumn , winter and spring months there every year.
Heating: well insulated, the cottage is never cold but for early spring or autumn discrete electric wall heaters are more than adequate to take the chill off. Alternatively for a cosy night light up the wood burner. [logs from supermarkets or bricomarch in Rostrennen}
The cottage is all- electric apart from the stove.
Outside:
The lounge opens onto a terrace area with table and chairs to enjoy the view over the canal with steps descending into a small planted garden, laid to lawn .A gate opens onto the tow-path ,lock and bridge over the canal to the village minutes away .Garden lounger chairs, umbrella and small barbecue are provided for the garden area ,plus a small table and chairs on the terrace.
PARKING: parking on the road is safe beside the embankment , outside the front door .[please do not park in front of the garage doors opposite ]
A small garden shed can be used for storage .
Cleaning / Towels / Linen / Maid service:
Cleaning, bedding and towels supplied for 2 guests, once per new weekly booking.
More can be supplied at cost or for stays longer than a week if requeste

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